Lead Developer

Job title - Lead Developer (£54,857 - £80,400)

Business area - Policy, Digital and Data

Working pattern - Flexible working, Full-time, Job share, Part-time

Number of jobs available - 2

Locations: Bristol, Swansea, Leeds, Nottingham, Newcastle, Oldham or Birmingham.

Salary: £54,857 plus an additional allowance up to £25,543

Job summary

This will be a key role in the design, build, support, implementation, bug fixing and improvement of existing and new digital services across DVSA.

You will work within a multi-disciplinary team using Agile delivery methodologies where you will be responsible for the development and delivery of well-designed and executed software, as a programmer who is able to adapt to multiple technologies, manage more junior colleagues and produce clean well tested code, contributing to delivering solutions that meet user needs.

Joining our department comes with many benefits, including:

• Employer pension contribution of 28.97% of your salary. Read more about Civil Service Pensions here
• 25 days annual leave, increasing by 1 day each year of service (up to a maximum of 30 days annual leave), plus 8 bank holidays a privilege day for the King's birthday
• Flexible working options where we encourage a great work-life balance.

Read more in the Benefits section below! Find out more about what it's like working at Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency - Department for Transport Careers

Job description

Responsibilities include but are not limited to:

You will:

• Act as Technical Lead for high-value initiatives driving development and test standards and continuous improvement through Scrum.
• Use industry best practice and knowledge to make agency policy decisions relating to technical tool selection based on analysis of requirements.
• Create a culture that proactively manages the risks of technical debt by ensuring continual software improvement.
• Lead technical teams in relation to problem solving and technical optioneering, driving and supporting teams to make technical recommendations based on sound analysis and knowledge.
• Work closely with Delivery Leads and Lead Developer management to ensure appropriately skilled technical expertise is in place across Digital Services, owning a resource requirement pipeline against skillset is managed.

Great line management is important to us as an organisation, and we will equip and support line managers to develop the skills they need. We aim to empower line managers to create teams where people can flourish and deliver excellent outcomes for the public. 

For further information on the role, please read the attached role profile. Please note that the role profile is for information purposes only - whilst all elements are relevant to the role, they may not all be assessed during the recruitment process. This job advert will detail exactly what will be assessed during the recruitment process.

Person Specification

Essential qualifications/licenses:

Agile certification in either a general or development specific genre, or a willingness to work towards it.

The post holder will be able to demonstrate the following knowledge, skills, and experience:

• Proficient in Open-source technologies such as TypeScript, JavaScript, Java, PHP, HTML, and CSS within Open-source environments.
• A sound understanding of value-based delivery and planning and ability to drive solutions through the development lifecycle.
• A working understanding of Test-Driven Development (TDD) and quality software development in an enterprise-level environment.
• Experience in Agile methodology as part of technical job families.
• An awareness of Data and Security best practice and how this relates to software development and quality assurance.
• An appreciation of the requirements of software delivery within a government context.

Additional Information

This role is part of the Government Security Profession and utilises an enhanced Capability Based Pay Framework which provides access to a Digital and Data allowance. 

The base pay is £54,857. In addition to this the role includes a Digital and Data allowance of up to £25,543.

The value of allowance awarded will be based on an assessment of your skills and experience as demonstrated through the selection process.   

Here are more details on the pay framework.  

Working hours, office attendance and travel requirements

Full time roles consist of 37 hours per week. Whilst we welcome applications from those looking to work with us on a part time basis, there is a business requirement for the successful candidate to be able to work at least 30 hours per week.

This role is suitable for hybrid working, which is a non-contractual arrangement where a combination of workplace and home-based working can be accommodated subject to business requirements. For more information on how this works for this role, please contact the Vacancy Holder (see below for contact details).

The expectation at present is a minimum of 60% of your working time a month will be spent at either your principal workplace (one of the locations cited in the advert) or, when required for business reasons, visiting stakeholders and colleagues, or carrying out detached duty in another DfT or agency workplace. The chosen principal workplace will be the designated place of work and any remote or home working arrangement does not constitute a change to the designated place of work or contractual terms and conditions. There may be occasions where you are required to attend above the minimum expectation. Applicants can request further information on how this may work in their team from the Vacancy Holder (see below for contact details).

Occasional travel to other offices will be required, which may involve overnight stays. 

If you have questions regarding how hybrid working is practiced within the business area, or any reasonable adjustments or flexible working arrangements you may currently have or need in place if successful in your application, please contact the Vacancy Holder (see advert for contact details).

Visa Sponsorship

Please note that we do not hold a UK Visa & Immigration (UKVI) Skilled Worker Licence sponsor and are unable to sponsor any individuals for Skilled Worker Sponsorship. Candidates should ensure they have the appropriate rights to work in the UK before application.

Offered Benefits

Being part of our brilliant Civil Service means you will have access to a wide range of fantastic benefits:

• Employer pension contribution of 28.97% of your salary. Read more about Civil Service Pensions here
• 25 days annual leave, increasing by 1 day each year of service (up to a maximum of 30 days annual leave).
• 8 Bank Holidays plus an additional Privilege Day to mark the King's birthday.
• Access to the staff discount portal.
• Excellent career development opportunities and the potential to undertake professional qualifications relevant to your role paid for by the department, such as CIPD, Prince2, apprenticeships, etc.
• Joining a diverse and inclusive workforce with a range of staff communities to support all our colleagues.
• 24-hour Employee Assistance Programme providing free confidential help and advice for staff.
• Flexible working options where we encourage a great work-life balance.

Find out more about the benefits of working at DfT and its agencies (opens in a new window)

How to apply:

Our selection process ensures a comprehensive assessment of each applicant's qualifications, skills, and potential fit within our organisation.

The selection process for this role will be:

Stage 1: Sift of CV and personal statement

Stage 2: Interview & Assessment

You must be successful at each stage to progress to the next stage.

Stage 1: Sift

At sift, you will be assessed against the following Success Profile elements:

Experience - you will be asked to provide a CV (unlimited wordcount) and personal statement (1000-word count).

Please structure your Personal Statement to provide detailed evidence of each of the following: 

• Have a sound understanding of value based delivery and planning and ability to drive solutions through the development lifecycle.
• Have current technical experience of working in an open-source environment using open-source technologies including PHP and JavaScript.
• Have a working understanding of Test Driven Development (TDD) and quality software development in an enterprise-level environment.
• Be experienced in Agile methodology as part of technical job families.

The sift will take place from 6th October 2025.

Stage 2: Interview & Assessment

At interview stage, you will be assessed against the following Success Profile elements:

Behaviours -

• Leadership
• Developing Self and Others

Technical -

• (Lead Developer - Systems Integration - (Skill level: practitioner)
• (Lead Developer -Development process optimisation - (Skill level: working)

Experience - You will also be required to participate in a pair programming session which will assess the following technical skills:

• (Lead Developer - Modern Development Standards - (Skill level: expert)
• (Lead Developer - Programming and Build - (Skill level: expert)
• (Lead Developer - Information Security - (Skill level: practitioner)

Guidance will be provided if you are invited to interview.

The interviews will take place from 20th October 2025.

This interview will be conducted online via Microsoft Teams. Further details will be provided to you should you be selected for interview. You can find out more about our hiring process, how to apply, and application and interview guidance on our careers site (opens in a new window).

Please note that we will try to meet the dates set out in the advert. There may be occasions when these dates will change.

Further information on the selection process

Feedback on your application can only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

We will also hold a 12 reserve list for this role, which may lead to potential opportunities beyond the role you applied for. You can read more about our reserve lists here.

Should we receive a large number of applications, we may invite a shortlist of the highest performing candidates to interview.  This means that some applications that meet the required standard could be placed 'on hold' after the sift and invited to interview if the vacant position(s) remain unfilled.  You will be notified if your application is being put 'on hold' once the sift has been completed.  

Appointments for this position will be made in order of merit. If you are successful in the selection process but there are no further available posts for the advertised role, you may be contacted to discuss an offer for a lower graded role (with similar experience and responsibility requirements).  

If you are unsuccessful in the selection process, your application may be considered for a lower graded position if your demonstrated skills and experience meet the requirements of the alternative position. Candidates will be considered in order of merit.  

AI Tools and Platforms

Artificial Intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action.  Please see our candidate guidance for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use

Further information

If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with the Recruitment Principles and you wish to make a complaint, in the first instance, you should contact Government Recruitment Services via email: dftrecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk. If you are not satisfied with the response you receive from the Department, you can contact the Civil Service Commission: Visit the Civil Service Commission website.

For further information please contact Jake Winship at Sellick Partnership.

Sellick Partnership is proud to be an inclusive and accessible recruitment business and we support applications from candidates of all backgrounds and circumstances. Please note, our advertisements use years' experience, hourly rates, and salary levels purely as a guide and we assess applications based on the experience and skills evidenced on the CV. For information on how your personal details may be used by Sellick Partnership, please review our data processing notice on our website.

Sellick Partnership is proud to be an inclusive and accessible recruitment business and we support applications from candidates of all backgrounds and circumstances. Please note, our advertisements use years' experience, hourly rates, and salary levels purely as a guide and we assess applications based on the experience and skills evidenced on the CV. For information on how your personal details may be used by Sellick Partnership, please review our data processing notice on our website.